Bonding (Random post, Open)

Laria held both of her darling twins in her arms as they drifted down the swamp's river. This was a practice Lari did when she was a girl, riding with her mother and older brother Shinsake. The boy and girl were wide eyed as they watched aligators swim around them, and cranes fly over head. She smiled as they cooed at the animals and giggled. Zenaku's beautiful snow white hair was growing fast. Miyako's glistening black hair was pulled into cute pigtails. Laria smiled warmly and cuddled her babies into her chest. A tear ran down her face as she wished her brother could see them, if only her mother could have..

Gokudera was an impulsive person. Always was, always been and it was only accentuated by the Kyuubi's presence. He rarely took the time, nor had any time to think about what he had to do. He was always in a haste and scowling at people, be it because he was angry at them or simply because he had a nasty temper. He couldn't be nice to anyone without knowing those people a little first. Respect was a word half erased in his dictionary and loyalty would be his only form of attachment he knew - except for those who raised him, the S-ranked ninjas who took him in when he was still a kid.

Everyone, even the Kage had the same place in his heart: some distant relationship because of his loyalty to the village. Well, not exactly everyone of his new world were in the same position. Believe it or not, but he cared deeply for the Kage's wife, Laria. She had just gotten two children, two adorable twins and he was ready to do anything for them to be safe and happy. More or less, he had made of them their indirect siblings and Laria would be the only motherly figure he ever had - Bianchi's poison cooking definitely broke all motherly figure traits she could have had for him.

He had just come back from his special training with his Kage when he met the woman again. He never saw her face to face, not daring to bring his stained presence near the almost perfect picture she was along with the twins. He was always hiding behind a tree or wall and silently observing them. He was no stalker: he was just making sure that they were alright between two training sessions. Ah, if he could, he'd grow up faster and become their sensei and teach them everything he would know then.

This time, he was hiding behind a tree again. She was silently crying while watching her children in her arms. He was torn between going towards her or not.
He was hoping she'd see him and tell him he could come closer. He'd love to talk to her once...

Lari lifted her head. She sensed another presence and looked around her. The boat rocked a bit as she shifted herself to holding both twins in her left arm as she rested her left hand on the hilt of Valxion. She didn't feel the presence was a threat, but nothing would change the motherly instinct she now had. The Xzeno master scanned the area and saw a man hidden behind a tree. She looked closer. "Gokudera?" She blinked and smiled. This boy was the Kyuubi host that Ochita took under his wing. Her husband had told her much about him and waved him towards her. Zenaku looked up to him and stuck out his tounge while Miyako had fallen asleep and was drooling. Laria took Zenaku in her free arm and flash stepped from the boat onto the bank of the swamp's river. "Hey there Gokudera, what're you doin' way out here?"

Shocked and surprised by the sudden closeness of Laria and stumbled back, only to land on his butt, his cheeks colored with some pink and his green eyes wide open at her. He scrambled back up while keeping on making distance between her and himself. He wasn't worthy to be close to her, nor pure enough to be near her. He could get mad at any moment with the Kyuubi inside of him, who was still angry from having been sealed for a while for the genin to train on his own. The damn fox was raging inside of him, wishing to create havoc and insulting Gokudera continuously.

"L-Laria-sama..." he breathed out, after his back hit the trunk of a tree.
He was uneasy, unprepared, having no idea what to say or do. He remembered that Bianchi tried to murder him each time he was impolite, so, he muttered a greeting.
"H-Hello...How are you?"
He looked at the ground, trying to hide his face behind his bangs and keep his hands from shaking.

Damn, how much was he out of character in front of her? He wasn't a weakling! But yet, she simply broke his armor and made him feel like a child, a child he really was...

Laria was confused at his actions, maybe the Raina personality was coming out in her but she only laughed and said, "I am most well Gokudera, no need to be so polite. Did you hurt yourself?" Pointing to the tree she wondered why he was so nervous. Zenaku giggled at the flustered boy and pointed at him, Miyako still asleep.

Gokudera looked confused at the tree behind him and frowned slightly. She was asking him, the Jinchuuriki that everyone avoided, if he was okay and not injured. It was confusing and almost maddening.
"I-I'm fine, Laria-sama." he answered, mumbling and staring at the twins.
Something was tugging in his guts. Was it jealousy? Nah. He wasn't jealous of the two - he was happy for them to have a loving mother and simply regretted that he hadn't had a mother who would have cared for him like that. He could still remember the aloof look his mother gave him, mother who was too busy mourning the dead to recognize her own flesh and blood.

He kept on staying at several feet from the woman, trying to avoid her while she was getting closer to him. She should stay away from him, leave him and be scared of him in case his "guest" would get mad enough to take over, once again...
"Aren't you disgusted or afraid?" he finally whispered, still avoiding her eyes. "Shouldn't you be turning around now and put your children in safety? Didn't your husband tell you that I'm dangerous?"

Lari felt her heart sink. The boy was sad, his aura was fragile from what she could only imagine was a rough life as the Kyuubi host. Laria shook her head and grinned. Ochita tells me lots of things, doesn't mean I listen. Hehe." She set Zenaku up on her shoulders so he could look around while she could hold the sleeping girl Miyako. Laria knew Gokudera could be dangerous. But in all her years of being an Xzeno and coming from the family she came from it was that people should never be judged before they prove themselves.

Laria knelt down and picked up a pebble, then flicked it at Goku laughing. "You are not disgusting, my cooking is. I'm only afraid of what does not exist." She took a step closer and placed her right hand on his head. "Gokudera, is there something bothering you? If there is.. then you can tell me. I'm here for you."

Gokudera slowly rose his hands on top of his head and rubbed the spot where Laria had ruffled his hair, a dumbfounded look on his face and his jaw hanging open, giving him the look of a koi fish out of the water.

Then, suddenly, he snapped out of it, shook his head and rose back on his feet, red like a tomato but a stronger look on his face. The corners of his lips were slightly tugging up, creating something close to a small smile and his eyes shone with new determination.
"I'm fine, Laria-sama!"

He looked at the kids and rubbed the back of his head.
"M-May I hold one of them?" he asked uncertain. "I swear the Kyuubi is calm today!"

There we go. There was a smile. Laria nodded, "Since Miyako is sleeping I'll let you hold Zenaku. Careful he's a brat hehe." Using her free hand she lifted her son of her shoulders by the back of his shirt and switched her into the arm. Zenaku giggled. Laria then turned her shoulder to Gokudera, telling him that he could pick him up.

The kid was indeed a brat. He tugged viciously (not really) at Gokudera's hair and kept on squealing in delight with every glare the 3/4 Italian gave him. The genin had hidden his cigarettes in his pocket, to not to give the kid a bad idea to use those too like he did, even though he could guess that Zenaku could smell the tobacco from his clothes. He ruffled the kid's hair and pinched it's nose.

He usually didn't like kids. In fact, he had never liked them - maybe because all of his age had thrown him aside, insulting him and fearing him. He couldn't blame them for that. He was one of the most unstable jinchuuriki in the world, not having the same positive spirit as the previous hosts had. He and the Kyuubi kept on clashing against each other, hating each other some more with every single day passing by and their relationship becoming more and more vicious.
But this child...this child was smiling at him, not acting afraid or strange. It was strange to have a little piece of warm human in his arms, for once being the one hugging someone and not the other way around.

"...Are you going to teach them the ways of the Xzeno?"

With a slight bounce Laria was pacing with Miyako in her arms. The black haired baby could sleep through anything and usually did. She looked at Zenaku as he was pulling Gokudera's hair and laughed. He was always active. The xzeno master heard Goku's question and her smile faded. "Not unless they wish it.. They are not pureblood so I will not force them to endure it.."

Gokudera felt like he had entered a taboo subject and immediately apologized for it, stumbling over the words he rarely used.
Then, he looked down at the boy he was holding and that was now staring at the dull shuriken he was holding, amazed by it's form. He had given the dull object to him while Laria had answered him; it was a gift he had gotten from Shamal, his first tutor - it had been dull already back then and time certainly hadn't done anything good for it. Zenaku threw it hesitantly and something close to a smile tugged at the Smoking Bomb's lips; the kid had it in him, being a shinobi. Well, who would expect otherwise than from the child of two people he admired deeply.

The silver haired genin ruffled the kid's hair and let it go, so that he could pick up his new toy and bring it back to his mother, babbling something about "Gok' gif me gif", which would be "Gokudera gave me a gift". The genin scratched the back of his head, not really sure what to do now.
He had never felt much peace as right now, not having to be worried by someone's actions nor to be scared of eventual dangerous outbursts from Kyuubi. It seemed that he was sleeping, or at least resting now, leaving Gokudera enjoying this short time of happiness.

"They are lucky to have parents like you and Kage-sama." he finally muttered.
Upon that, he stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants. He was tempted to light a cigarette, but didn't for the sake of the kids. He knew he wasn't that much of a good influence and giving them anymore would be a bad thing.
He looked around, hesitating between going and staying. If she told him he could go, he would. If she requested him to stay, he would stay.